Cats' Paws and
Santa Claws

Carole Nelson Douglas:
Cat in a Golden Garland

Finally we cats have a role model to look up to. Midnight Louie's latest
adventure, Cat in a Golden Garland set my ears twitching
and my fur on end. In this, the eighth book of the Midnight Louie mystery
series, Louie's good looks and charisma have landed him a try-out as spokescat
for the Allpetco brand cat food in New York during Christmastime. Yowie!
New worlds to conquer.

Temple
Barr, Midnight Louie's petite roommate with the classy shoes, bids temporary
farewell to neighbor and maybe-yes, maybe-no boyfriend Matt Devine. But
not before gifting him with a furniture buying spree that left Matt owner
of an eight-foot-long, circa1950, red suede sofa.

But Matt's plans don't
leave him time to stretch out on that comfy sofa and catnap (a very good
idea at any time). He's hot to follow up yet another lead in his long
search for his stepfather. The search ultimately lands back Matt back
in Chicago in the middle of the family he never planned to see again.

Human relations are
so complicated! And Temple gets a triple dose of those complications at
Colby, Janos and Renaldi, the NYC ad agency managing the competition for
the Allpetco spokescat.

Kendall
Renaldi, daughter of the ad agency's CEO, serves as Temple's and Louie's
guide to the Madison Avenue advertising madness that greets them on their
arrival. It may be almost Christmas for everyone else, but the auditions
must go on. Louie and Temple and the competition -- Louie's number one
rival, the dastardly yellow-furred Maurice (hisssssssss); Louie's dream
date, the divine Yvette, her sister Solange; and Yvette's unpleasant human
companion, Savannah Ashleigh -- are worked like dogs.

The auditions culminate
in an agency Christmas party attended by management, staff and their families.
Amid the childish clamor of munchkins waiting for Santa to arrive, murder
waits for its turn in the spotlight. Before Santa can lay a finger aside
of his nose, Louie is up to his tail in clues, and Temple's not far behind
him.

If serving up a fine
dose of justice isn't enough for Temple, there's another gift waiting
under her Christmas tree in the form of the Mystifying Max Kinsella, the
other black-haired "cat" in Temple's life. It's a bum deal for Louie.
Once again the big-hearted lug puts the vital clue in Temple's hands,
only to be left green-eyed and alone (but not for long) under the mistletoe.